DAY TWO: West of the Rhem Archipelago, site of URN Headquarters

A single star was shining in the clear, dark-blue sky in front of the high mobility flying vessel, Ragnarok, as it soared over the ocean waves, turned orange by the setting sun, towards the Island Closest to Hell.

"We're almost there, Captain," Nida told Quistis from the pilot seat as she entered the control room.

"Excellent," Quistis replied while walking up behind Nida's chair, her eyes locked on the solitary wishing star visible through the control room's glass covering.

Turning to a young SeeD operative sitting at the navigations station, Quistis said, "Rais; when the URN air control station contacts us, give them the ship ID Selphie provided. Our ship should appear registered to the Estharian fleet."

"Right, but…how come we don't just fly into Galbadia?" Rais asked nervously.

"Because Esthar monitors aircraft approaching Galbadia from the west in an attempt to locate Balamb Garden; if we flew straight into Galbadia, we'd never get back out without them hassling us. We also can't approach from any other direction because of Timber and Dollet, so this is our only option."

"Oh yeah...So, tell me again how Selphie got falsified ID codes?"

"From our friend, Ward Zabac, who happens to be the Director of Estharian Military Operations," Quistis replied with a faint smile while moving her long hair behind her shoulder; she'd taken to wearing it down as of late, and on this particular venture, she'd braided her bangs and pulled them around her head, forming a crown of sorts. "Relax, Rais; everything will be fine."

Nida turned around at that point, and surprised by Quistis' attire, said, "Wow, Captain; you look stunning—I didn't know we were going in as civilians."

Quistis smiled, delighted by Nida's comment; she'd spent a lot of time choosing her outfit considering it was her first trip away from Balamb Garden in months. She'd selected high-heel orange leather boots, black Capri-jeans with a light purple belt, a loose fitting orange silk halter-top, a sleek short sleeved purple leather racing jacket, and black elbow length fingerless cotton gloves.

"We're not going in as civilians, but we're not going dressed as SeeDs from Balamb Garden, either; both of you should change before landing."

"Yes, Sir!" Nida and Rais said at the same time.

Just then, Rais' control panel lit up, indicating an incoming message. When he'd pushed a button or two, a voice said, "Ragnarok-Class airship, this is URN air station requesting—"

"Eight!" Rais interrupted. "Uh—F, F, eight, two; currently on assignment. We're, um, coming in for landing, Sir!"

Quistis and Nida both sighed, but the voice on the radio seemed satisfied:

"Affirmative, F, F, eight, two; URN personnel will be meeting you on the airstrip."

"Right! Um, thanks!" Rais shouted before abruptly ending the call and yelling, "URN personnel!? Oh man—do you think they know!?"

"Oh course not," Nida said firmly. "We'll be fine as long as you keep your head on straight."

"Right!" Rais shouted tensely. "A SeeD operative is an expert in hand to hand combat as well as infiltration and espionage!"

"Why don't you go get changed," Quistis said lightly; Rais hastily followed her order.

As Quistis sat in the co-pilot seat, Nida said, "I hope that guy doesn't blow this for us…"

"We'll be leaving him in charge of this ship…Despite my insistence to bring him, I don't think he's ready for the field."

After a brief silence, Nida said, "Sure is a lot of traffic around here."

"Indeed," Quistis responded; Nida had moved over the Island Closest to Hell and was approaching the Rhem Archipelago where Galbadia Garden now sat, fully refurbished into URN Headquarters and surrounded by glass office buildings and a large diamond shaped runway, on which several different colored Ragnarok-Class airships were landing and leaving.

"Esthar's official explanation is military exercises," Quistis continued, "but their URN representative turned head of URN operations, Kiros Seagill, tells us they use those ships for reconnaissance—spying on Galbadia in an attempt to see if their hiding Balamb Garden on the continent somehow...You should go get ready; I'll set us down."

With the Ragnarok parked behind them, Quistis and Nida walked across the windy airstrip to meet with a stern man being escorted by two Estharian guards. The sun had nearly vanished beneath the distant horizon, tinting the sky a dark-purple color, leaving just enough pale light for Quistis to see the stern man extend his hand.

"I'm Major Stone, head of the Second Estharian Air Battalion."

"A pleasure," Quistis said while shaking Stone's hand. "Leena Ovidia, Lieutenant with the First EAB. This is Sergeant O'Connor," she added while nodding to Nida.

"Air control reports you're here on assignment," Stone said while suspiciously eying the Ragnarok, "but I haven't received any news regarding your arrival, Lieutenant."

"You wouldn't have, Major," Quistis replied pleasantly. "The assignment is top secret. If you'd like, I can give you the details in private."

While slowly raising his hand, at which time the guards escorting him raised their weapons, Stone narrowed his eyes and said, "I think you'd better give me the details now, Lieutenant; I'll decide if they're 'top secret'."

Though Stone didn't notice, Quistis saw Nida tense up beside her; they hadn't expected a line of questioning.

Remaining calm and polite, Quistis said, "As you wish, Major. Three weeks ago, Sergeant O'Connor was given a mission by the Colonel of Esthar's Ground Forces to lead a fire-team of six men into Timber. Posing as Trabian SeeDs hired by the Exceress faction to combat Galbadia, the Sergeant's objective was to obtain information regarding the Galbadian transport of weapons stolen from Trabian SeeDs earlier this week. It was discovered that the weapons are being transported to the Gotland Peninsula, east of Deling City, to aid Galbadian forces combating Dollet. Our current mission is to intercept this shipment, load it on our ship, and transport it back to Esthar."

When Quistis finished, Nida's wide smile suggested he was impressed by her quick thinking, and after a moment, Stone said, "Spy stuff…"

With a smile almost as big as Nida's, Quistis said, "Exactly."

"Well then," Stone began, "I won't get into it, but you can tell the Ground Force Officers that, in the future, a little heads up would be nice."

"Is that an order, Sir?" Quistis asked cheekily.

Stone merely grumbled, prompting Quistis to say, "We'll be returning here with the shipment later tonight, and timing is of the essence, so a security pass would be wonderful. Also, we'd like to request transport into Deling City as soon as possible."

"I'll see what I can do," Stone replied while making his way off the airstrip.

As Quistis and Nida followed, Nida whispered, "That's some imagination you got there, Captain; you don't even know who the Colonel of Esthar's Ground Forces is, do you?"

Quistis simply smiled.

Deling City was a remnant of its former glory: After the S.S., Galbadia's reputation was permanently damaged because of its affiliation was the sorceress, plummeting the entire country's economy. The rise of the Knights of Ultima, who'd made Deling City their headquarters after seizing power from President Martine, had rendered the once bustling capital a desolate abode for poverty stricken radicals. The streets were nearly empty, most of the shops had closed down along with the train station, and crime was commonplace.

The transport Major Stone provided for Quistis and Nida dropped them off at the Galbadian Hotel, and once inside, they entered the lounge and made their way to a large booth opposite the stairs. The dim, humid lounge was packed with hopeless drunks that were more and likely the only reason the Hotel was still open, and surprisingly, a piano player was still employed for entertainment purposes; Quistis was familiar with the song he was playing—an old hit called "Eyes on Me".

Sensing Nida's upcoming question, Quistis said, "Be patient; Xu said our contact would meet us here…"

As soon as the words left Quistis' mouth, a man wearing a black button-up dress shirt, a tan cashmere suit jacket, loose black jeans with gray double-stitched knees, and dark-purple cowboy boots approached her table with three beers in one hand.

"Irvine?" Quistis said in a shocked manner.

Irvine's hair, which he still wore in a ponytail, had gotten longer, his face was covered with stubble, and his eyes looked heavy, but he was still as attractive as ever.

"Fancy seeing you here, darling," he said while offering Quistis and Nida a beer.

Refusing the perspiring bottle, Quistis said, "We're here on—"

"Business? Shame—all work and no play..."

"What are you doing here?" Quistis asked.

Flashing a handsome smile, Irvine replied, "Pleasure…at least I was until you arrived."

Nida, who'd accepted the beer Irvine offered, said, "You're our contact?"

"Not if you announce it to the world," Irvine said humorously while glancing around the lounge. "Rats and snakes have keen hearing, my friend…"

"Is there somewhere we can talk in private, then?" Quistis asked Irvine. "We're sort of in a hurry."

"I got a room here; follow me."

As Quistis complied, she told Nida to, "Wait here; keep an eye out and inform me of anything suspicious."

The rooms in the Galbadian Hotel were still the same—three beds against the right wall, a sitting area by the far window—only the faded fabrics seemed to reflect the ailing glory the country. Irvine's room in particular was tidy at first glance, but absently askew upon closer inspection.

Sitting in one of two chairs by the window, Irvine said, "SeeDs from Balamb Garden working with Galbadia's Knights of Ultima secured the supply shipment from Trabian SeeDs two days ago. The shipment is currently offshore in a small boat, but it can be transported at any time."

"Best to do it as soon as possible," Quistis said while sitting in the chair across from Irvine. "Have your men take it to URN Headquarters and tell the personnel that they're part of Sergeant O'Connor's fire-team, then ask for Rais."

"That part of your cover story?" Irvine asked while pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.

Instead of reply, Quistis simply watched Irvine hold his phone to his ear, and when a voice sounded on the other side, he said, "Haul it to URN; ask for Rais," before promptly hanging up.

Irvine then relaxed to the point of almost sliding out of his chair, and Quistis said, "We haven't communicated with Xu since last night; I was unaware you'd be our contact. I can't believe you're in Galbadia…Gosh, I haven't seen you since—"

"The end of Balamb Garden's operations in Esthar dealing with the Lunar Cry—it's been a whole year…You're just as pretty as I remember, too."

Quistis laughed, wishing she could say the same; the more she saw of Irvine, the more run down he appeared.

"So...how have you been?" Irvine asked offhandedly.

Quistis thought for a moment, but when she saw Irvine's searching stare, she cleared her throat and said, "Well, we were here in Galbadia a year ago when the Knights of Ultima first arose, but when Esthar proclaimed they were going to capture Rinoa, we left most of our SeeDs behind and disappeared. Ever since, we've been using encoded frequencies to communicate with Xu, who works in Balamb Meadow and uses Meadow SeeDs to transfer orders, payment, and supplies to our men. Also, with occasional help from Selphie, we organize operations like this so that Balamb Garden can stayed supplied."

Irvine raised his eyebrows. "Well, that's good...a little impersonal..."

"And you?" Quistis asked while looking around the room, noticing several nicknacks. "How long have you been here…?"

After taking a sip of his beer, Irvine replied, "I transferred out of Trabia Garden to Balamb Meadow right when Exceress emerged and started hiring Trabian SeeDs to combat Galbadia, so almost six months, I guess...it was shortly after you guys went into hiding. I figured someone had to be in the thick of everything to ensure minimal casualties between Trabian SeeDs hired by Exceress and Balamb SeeDs hired by Galbadia…"

Seeing the distant look in Irvine's eyes as he stared out the window, Quistis said, "There's more to it than that; don't worry, Irvine, you can tell me. When we left Esthar, you stayed in Trabia to be with Selphie…I don't think you'd leave her there just to mediate foreign conflicts—"

"And why not?" Irvine asked with a smile. "After Trabia's reconstruction, a lot of Balamb SeeDs studied there in exchange programs until Exceress made enemies out of the two groups. Now, there's a lot of friends out there killing each other because they're being paid to do so. Why shouldn't someone try to help?"

Again, Quistis didn't say anything, and after a moment passed, Irvine added, "You're right, though, there is more to it…"

Leaning forward, eager to show her old friend that she still cared, Quistis said, "Tell me, please."

"I transferred to Balamb Meadow knowing I'd be contracted by Galbadia for the reasons I just told you, but also because something about this whole war didn't feel right to me. I thought that if I got close to these 'Knights of Ultima' running Galbadia, I'd figure out what was really going on…"

Quistis was taken aback by Irvine's answer. "So you and Selphie…?"

"Are just fine; she keeps in contact, just like she keeps in contact with you guys despite the fact you've dropped off the face of the planet…Selphie knows what I'm doing here is important."

After shaking her head, Quistis said, "I'm having trouble understanding, Irvine. The Knights of Ultima have outright said that their goal is the restoration of the Galbadian nation, meaning they're trying to conquer Timber and Dollet again, presumably to cash in on their recent prosperity. Their motivations seem pretty obvious."

"You're right, they do, but they're not. You see, most of the soldiers working with the Knights are Galbadian, and nearly all of them think Rinoa is the reason they lost the S.S. It's kinda' strange then that the Knights didn't hire Trabia instead of Balamb. I can only assume that even though the majority of their men hate Rinoa, the Knights are trying to get close to her with the hopes that she'll take the place of Edea, or Ultimecia. Anyway, when I first arrived, I told Galbadia's soldiers that I was a spy during the S.S., working against Rinoa and Balamb Garden from the inside. Of course, considering my assassination attempt on Edea failed and I wasn't sent to D-District afterwards, they all believed me; trusted me. After that, I did some digging and found out that before Exceress went public, its members funded the Knights' uprising in the first place."

Quistis studied Irvine, thinking he might be slightly intoxicated, before methodically explaining, "Timber's Exceress faction thinks Galbadia's partnership with Balamb Garden will led to the S.S. all over again, which based on what you just told me is exactly what the Knights of Ultima want. To stop that, Exceress has independently hired Trabian SeeDs to take down Galbadia because their government refuses to join the war…So tell me; why would Exceress hire mercenaries to topple an organization they helped establish?"

"I know; it doesn't make sense, but I'm not just going on wild rumors, here. When I told Selphie all this, she uncovered records of transactions that prove Exceress members supplied the Knights with the weapons needed for their initial takeover."

Quistis was speechless; she'd known Irvine fancied himself a 'lone wolf', but never imagined he'd be able to undertake such an investigation all on his own, and his findings were extremely important—if what he was saying was true, it meant that Exceress had secretly funded what was essentially a terrorist organization, meaning its members could legally be imprisoned under Timber legislation.

"Why haven't you reported this to anyone?" Quistis said at last. "This information could stop the battles raging between SeeDs from Trabia and Balamb; that's what you want, isn't it?"

"It's not that simple, darling," Irvine replied slyly. "The only reason I'm able to be here helping you is because Galbadia's hired Balamb SeeDs—"

"There are other operatives that could help us smuggle supplies to Garden through Galbadia. Just trust me enough to tell me what's wrong!"

Irvine studied Quistis with an odd expression. "Tell you what's wrong…?"

"I just meant," Quistis started, feeling embarrassed, "that there's something you're not telling me."

A strange grin spread across Irvine's face. "Are you used to being kept in the dark? Having some kinda' separation issues…?"

Quistis' mouth fell open. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The reason I haven't reported this to any government officials is because it would blow my cover before I'm aware of the whole truth; plain and simple. You, however, seem convinced I'm hiding something—"

"Maybe that's because you didn't bother telling us you'd be our contact for this mission."

"Hey, you said yourself that you haven't had contact with Xu since yesterday; how is that my fault? And all business aside, sweetness, I think you're the one hiding something…"

"That's ridiculous—"

"You feel left out," Irvine said while rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. "No, scratch that; unimportant."

Angrily, Quistis said, "Unimportant? Operation of Balamb Garden has been my sole responsibility for over five months—I look after everyone! I handle SeeD contracting and payment, obtain and ration supplies, oversee training exercises—"

"And Squall just hangs out with Rinoa upstairs?"

"No! Squall is—"

"…Squall is what?" Irvine asked ardently with a slight smile; his skills as an investigator were impressive—he'd managed to pick up on troubling emotions Quistis thought she'd hidden completely.

The truth was that Quistis didn't know how Squall was doing. Shortly after going into hiding, he'd handed management of Garden over to her and steadily withdrew. Since then, she'd ensured they remained anonymous by constantly moving around the globe, handling all of SeeDs contracts through coded channels with Xu and Selphie. The pressure had been begun weighing her down a long time ago, and Squall's reluctance help out or confide in her, choosing instead to cut himself off, had left her feeling dejected, alone, and like Irvine said, unimportant.

Was she not worthy of Squall's trust? Did he see her as anything more than someone he could shove responsibility onto? She didn't have the answers, and Irvine was right, her repeated inquiries were an attempt to feel needed and trusted as more than a college—as a friend.

"Squall's an asshole," Irvine said. "Hooking up with Rinoa wasn't going to change that; he's the only one that can. I'm not saying the guy doesn't have it hard, but I have a pretty good idea what he's been doing out there for the last six months…"

"He's been doing the same thing he always does," Quistis said. "Brood—only now he doesn't have Cid to distract him with missions…He's not an—a jerk, though; he just thinks about everything too much…It'd just be nice if he'd let me in, after everything we've been through together..."

"I seem to remember everyone getting along fine in Esthar. Granted, the entire world wasn't trying to kill Squall's girlfriend back then." Irvine leaned forward with a smile, placing his hand on Quistis' knee. "He'll come around…maybe all he needs is instruction."

Quistis looked at Irvine, grateful for his implication. "Thanks Irvine…It's been really good seeing you…"

"The pleasure's all mine, darling."

Suddenly, someone started banging on the door. Irvine shot a nervous glance at Quistis before hopping off his chair and removing a large silver gun from beneath one of the beds. Quistis quietly ran to the door, and when Irvine gave her a nod, she flung it open.

"Captain!" Nida shouted breathlessly, rushing inside. "Captain; Rais just sent word—multiple Ragnarok-Class frigates have just left the URN airbase headed for Garden!"

"Garden!?" Quistis shouted. "How'd they discover its location?"

"Coordinates from Esthar were sent in shortly after we arrived; that's all I know! Rais said the supply shipment has already been loaded and no one has discovered we're actually from Garden. I think we'll be able to get away without any problems, but we have to hurry—we have to stop those frigates from reaching Garden!"

Quistis looked at Irvine, who let his gun rest on his shoulder and said, "Go get 'em, wild cat."

Before leaving, Quistis gave Irvine a hug. Then, her and Nida hurried back to their ship as fast as possible.